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Pros Increased Participation oAdvocates can access trainings and materials regardless of geographic location oCost savings can be passed onto advocates, making trainings less costly (or free) oTime spent traveling to and from trainings is eliminated, so advocates may be more likely to attend oAdvocates may feel more comfortable participating online or via email

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Pros More Efficient Content Delivery oResources can be made available online and in the context of other complementary resources (case law, statutes, sample pleadings, etc) oOnline materials are available 24/7 - before, during and after trainings oSubstantive and procedural changes (new cases, legislative changes, etc.) can be easily communicated in real time

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Pros Increased Interactivity oTechnology facilitates interactions beyond a specific training or publication oListservs, wikis, and social media allow advocates to collaborate in real time, share work product and quickly respond to changes in the law oTechnology facilitates the organic development of communications and resources

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Pros Archived Resources and Training Materials oTechnology facilitates broad access to and the continued availability of technical assistance resources oReduces duplication oEliminates need to offer multiple trainings at different times and places oReduces need to deliver materials to advocates multiple times

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Cons Limits Face-to-Face Social Interactions oWhile technology is becoming better at facilitating social interaction, it still doesnt replace face-to-face communications oFor this reason, it may not be a good solution where team building and enhancing interpersonal communications are important training outcomes

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Cons Advocates Must Adapt to New Technology oWhile there are many efficiencies to using technology to provide technical assistance, there are also some inherent costs: oTime spent learning how to use new technology and providing tech support to advocates oCosts in implementing new platforms and upgrading equipment/infrastructure oEffort spent accommodating advocates who resist new ways of doing things

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Tech Tools: Multimedia Podcasts oAudio broadcasts that can be subscribed to using software like iTunes, podcasts provide: oA rich, condensed format with which to provide timely substantive updates oThe ability to easily accommodate multiple perspectives on an issue within one resource oCompelling multimedia content thats inexpensive and easy to produce oA way to capture regional and national perspectives on an issue without the barriers of a host or listeners physical location

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Video/Webcasts oVideos provide: oA rich multimedia experience oThe ability to archive past trainings and make them available for advocates to watch online at their convenience oWebcasts provide: oAccess to live trainings in real time oThe ability to interact with the trainer or other participants through text chat

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Tech Tools: Communication Email oEmail tools allow you to: oEfficiently respond to requests for technical assistance oSend blast emails to advocates about new resources, trainings and practice updates oTarget emails to advocates by geographic area or substantive interest oSolicit feedback and comments on proposed legislation and other advocacy efforts

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Tech Tools: Communication Listservs oListservs and email groups allow you to: oSupport peer-to-peer technical assistance oDirectly communicate to large numbers of advocates oCultivate a community of advocates with similar interests oIdentify advocates with various specializations and interests

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Tech Tools: Communication RSS (Really Simple Syndication) oAn easy method of delivering information to advocates without their having to go to your website, RSS provides: oNearly instant updates for users using RSS feed readers (e.g. iGoogle, Netvibes, and most email clients) oThe ability to embed your content on other websites and have it automatically update when you post new resources

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Tech Tools: Social Media Social media defines activities that integrate technology and social interaction. Examples of social media applications that could be used to provide technical assistance include: oSocial Bookmarking (del.icio.us) oWikis (Wikipedia) oVirtual Worlds: (Second Life)

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Tech Tools: Social Media Social Bookmarking oA way to allow users to collaboratively tag or bookmark online resources, social bookmarking provides: oA system to collectively aggregate and share online resources oA tool to assist advocates in tracking news and new developments in a substantive area

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Best Practices: Overview oPlanning oCollaboration oCommunity Building oE-Learning oSelecting the Right Tools

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Best Practices: Planning Planning oMany online tools and applications are inexpensive and relatively easy to implement, which leads to a lot of half-baked projects oPlanning is still an important step! Understanding the needs of your community, their comfort with technology and the resource requirements for implementing technology solutions for technical assistance are crucial.

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Best Practices: Collaboration Collaboration: oDevelopments in information and communications technologies have made collaboration easier than ever before oDont give up these gains by creating projects that dont engage key stakeholders or that dont support deep collaboration among advocates and organizations that are doing similar work

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Best Practices: Community Community Building oBuilding robust online communities is an important outcome for several reasons: oLeads to increased peer-to-peer support oProvides an efficient advocacy platform oOpens doors to new collaborations oFacilitates rapid responses to legislative and policy changes oHelps advocates to feel like they are part of a larger movement and vision

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Best Practices: Community Community Building oA few tips on online community building: oProvide tools and resources that are engaging enough to support a community of advocates oChoose technologies that support collaboration oUse language that underscores the importance of community and shared values and activities in your communications oHighlight successful collaborations oMake a list of members available to other members (transparency)

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Best Practices: E-Learning E-Learning oMake resources available in a variety of formats oProvide guides to using technology tools so that technology itself doesnt become a barrier to learning oSurvey users to identify which formats are successful and which resources are useful (usage metrics can also be helpful for this) oExperiment with new formats/resources and update existing ones based on user feedback

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Best Practices: Tools Selecting the Right Tools oWhen researching various tools, consider: oCosts oScalability oHow easy it is to learn and use oIntegration with other tools oSecurity oHow widely its used oTechnical support